Sri Dalada Maligawa, also known as the Golden Temple or the Temple of the Tooth is a venerated Buddhist worship location as it preserves the Sacred Tooth Relic of Lord Buddha. A noticeable feature of the Temple is the golden canopy that makes it easily identifiable from far away.

The Botanical Gardens in Kandy are renowned for their beautiful flowers and trees; orchids in particular. The name Royal comes in because they were once upon a time only open to the Kandyan royalty. With 60 hectares of land, covering 2500 square feet, this is Sri Lanka’s largest and most impressive Botanical Gardens.

Kandy, the Cultural City of Sri Lanka, known for its natural beauty and traditional ways, Kandy will definitely be one of the best highlights of Sri Lanka. Take a sightseeing tour around the wonderful city of Kandy and grant yourself an awesome view of the heart of Kandy.

Established in 1975, Pinnawala elephant orphanage is a breeding ground for wild Asian elephants. The aim of the orphanage is to protect and care for the orphaned elephants in the jungles of the island. A natural habitat is presented to the elephants where they are taken to the river twice a day and elephants below three years are bottle fed by volunteers.

Enjoy Sri Lanka’s world renowned spices in a garden where it smells of cinnamons, pepper, cardamom, nutmeg and mace that overwhelm your senses! A garden with most spectacular specimens that are bound to make you realize that the Sri Lankan culture has so much to offer than what maybe shown from the outskirts.

Sri Lanka’s Batik making industry was only established firmly in the last century or so though records show that it was done earlier as well. Nowadays it is a small scale industry that provides job opportunities for many talented artisans. The designs used are both original Sri Lankan traditional designs as well as designs imported from Java, Indonesia.

Handicraft of woodcarving in Sri Lanka has a long history. The tradition of woodcarving in Sri Lanka is manifested at Lankatilaka Temple and Embekke Devale at Kandy. At these temples, miniature replicas of the low-relief wood carving done by the traditional woodcarvers can be bought at fair prices. The three dimensional carvings of ebony elephants, Buddha are popular in Sri Lanka. Wood-carved decorative panels are used widely in Sri Lanka in the trade of interior decoration too.

Gadaladeniya Temple in Sri Lanka is an old monastery built over a rock in Diggala in the district of Kandy. According to an inscription carved into the walls the temple was built in 1344 AD by King Buwanekabaghu the fourth. The temple was designed by the South Indian architect Ganesvarachchari in a design similar to South Indian architecture.

Lankatilaka is Buddhist temple of the 14th century in the Hiyarapitiya village, from the Udu Nuwara area of Kandy district in Sri Lanka. This historical temple was built by the Gampola king, King Buwanekabahu the fourth (1341 – 1351AD), in 1344 AD. Gampola was a stronghold on the banks of Mahaveli River.

In the Udu Nuwara area of the Kandy district lies a temple with a history of over six centuries. Built during the reign of King Wickremabahu III (1371-1394AD) who ruled in the Kingdom of Gampola, the temple is practically covered in wood carvings. The woodwork is confirmed by UNESCO as some of the best and most detailed in the world. The temple is dedicated to the god known as ‘Murugan’ by the Hindus and ‘Katharagama deity’ by the Buddhists.

Kandy Lake, also known as Kiri Muhuda or the Sea of Milk, is an artificial lake in the heart of the hill city of Kandy, Sri Lanka, built in 1807 by King Sri Wickrama Rajasinghe next to the Temple of the Tooth. Over the years, it was reduced in size. It is a protected lake, with fishing banned. There are many legends and folklore regarding the lake. One such is that the small island at its center was used by the king’s helm for bathing and was connected to the palace by secret tunnel.